Hispanics in Massachusetts are much more likely to have insurance coverage and a primary care doctor than they were before the state’s health insurance overhaul five years ago, but a report set to be released today found that those who speak little or no English lag far behind, with one-third uninsured.
The researchers concluded that English-speaking Hispanics were almost as likely to be insured as non-Hispanic whites, after adjusting the data for differences in factors such as age and income.
But the coverage rate for those who primarily speak Spanish was about 11 percentage points lower.
The study results were based on a 2009 national health survey that included more than 10,000 Massachusetts adults ages 18-64. The study was led by the JSI Research and Training Institute, a nonprofit public health consulting firm in Boston.
The authors said the results point to a need for more targeted programs to help those who do not speak English to navigate the complicated insurance enrollment process, but the most recent state budget eliminated money for outreach efforts largely aimed at Hispanics and other minorities.
Through focus groups and in-depth interviews with Hispanic residents, the researchers found that many said they were confused by enrollment and renewal processes or did not understand what insurance was for because they had come from countries where patients pay doctors directly. The study did not determine the immigration status of residents, but illegal immigrants are not eligible for insurance subsidized by the state.
The study, being published today in the August issue of Health Affairs, says signing up Spanish speakers for insurance is not just a Massachusetts concern. In 2014, most Americans will be required to have insurance under a law signed by President Obama last year.
States with bigger Hispanic populations and fewer community health resources than Massachusetts must develop strategies for reaching Spanish-speaking people, said James Maxwell, lead author of the study and director of research at JSI.
“It’s really a neglected topic,’’ Maxwell said. “Given that such a large percentage of the national uninsured population is Hispanic, it should be a much higher priority.’’
Authors of the 2006 state health law made eliminating racial and ethnic disparities a priority. They created a task force to focus on the issue and set aside money - $2.5 million in each of the past two years - for dozens of community groups that assist people trying get insurance.
But that money was eliminated for the fiscal year that began July 1, and it seems unlikely that the state will restore the funding before the current grants run out in December.